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China's non-ferrous metal sector urged to boost R&D

By Gong Zhengzheng (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-06-06 08:44

China's non-ferrous metal producers have been called on to strengthen their investment in research and development (R&D) to lift the international competitiveness of the sector over the next 5 to 15 years.

Kang Yi, president of the China Non-Ferrous Metal Association, a government-backed industry organization based in Beijing, said that the sector's overall R&D input should exceed 1.5 per cent of its annual sales revenue by 2010.

In the longer term, the ratio is expected to grow to over 2.5 per cent by 2020, Kang said.

Last year, the proportion stood at less than 1 per cent.

"Manufacturers should spare no effort to raise money to ensure the growth of R&D expenditure outpaces that of sales revenue," he said.

China has been the world's biggest non-ferrous manufacturing nation, but it is not a strong one due to weak independent innovation capabilities, Kang said.

The country's combined output of the main non-ferrous metals  aluminium, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, stannum, mercury, magnesium, sponge, titanium and antimony  rose by 18.1 per cent to 16.3 million tons last year from 2004, ranking it No 1 in the world for a fourth consecutive year, according to the association's statistics.

"We can buy advanced equipment (from foreigners), but we can't buy real core technologies. Therefore, it is a pressing task for the sector to enhance independent innovation capabilities to raise international competitiveness," Kang said.

He urged all key non-ferrous metal groups in China to set up their own technical centres and establish associations with outside research institutions and universities to forge stronger R&D capabilities.